I Wanna Have My Stupid Toga Party BEFORE I'm Dead!
by PsychoticSushi
Summary: Third fic in the Toga Series. Roger wants revenge.And things keep happening to Audrey and her friends. Dangerous things.The problem? He's still locked up.How's he pulling THIS ONE off?They better figure it out quick,or Audrey might not live to find out.
1. Strange Happenings

**Well, here it is!**

**Thanks for staying with me through all these fics!**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

"Oh, c'mon Percy, you NEED this!!" Audrey begged like a five-year-old.

"Um, NO, I don't. It's not on the list."

"Man up, Jackson! Be a rebel! Sally needs this, she _needs _it!!"

"NO."

"_Pleeeeaaassssee_?!!"

"Nope."

Audrey sighed, tossing the Slap-Chop into the shopping cart anyway. "You'll thank me later," she commented, pushing the cart happily.

* * *

Percy just sighed, shook his head, and put the Slap-Chop on a random shelf.

Audrey groaned, hitting her head lightly against the cart-handle in frustration. "Aww, Percy! What if I told you...I was psychic?"

Percy pretended to be totally awestruck and impressed. "...Really, Audrey?!"

"Yes, Percy, YES! And I have had another vision!"

"Let me guess, Audrey....it had to do with a Slap-Chop, and how much my mom _must _need one."

Audrey smiled sweetly at him. "Wow, Percy. Maybe YOU'RE psychic, too!"

She then tossed the contraption back into the cart. Percy chuckled. "Fine. But you're paying for it."

"Yay!" Audrey replied before pushing off with her foot and riding the cart down the practically empty aisle, just like she had when she was little.

Meanwhile, Percy got some sauce and such off the shelves he passed before casually stopping the cart with one hand.

It jerked to a stop, and Audrey pouted and hopped him and his apparent muscles. "....Showoff."

He rolled his eyes, pulling her and the cart to the right, towards the check-out. "I swear, grocery stores bring out even _more _of the kid in you, Audrey."

She shrugged. "You should see me here when I'm _hyper_. Once, I even hid in the clothing racks and said 'Pick me!' and 'No, pick ME!' over and over as people passed by. It was awesome!"

He laughed. "I'd pay money to see that."

She leaned against the cart as she helped unload stuff. "How much are we talking, here, Percy Jackson?"

The guy behind the check-out aisle eyed them suggestively, to which Percy and Audrey sighed. "Not THAT way!" They said at the same time, exchanging grins.

After paying for all the items (that Slap-Chop cost her a good eight bucks), Percy grinned. "Audrey, I think he thought you were a hooker."

Audrey widened her eyes in mock surprise. "By jove, you're a _genius_, Watson!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**HOURS ****LATER...**_

"I _would _point out you helped buy all that stuff for nothing, since you're not gonna eat it, but I know how much you like those fricking grocery stores," Allie commented once Audrey got home.

Audrey grinned. "Yeah, I know. Grocery stores have such wonderous possibilities!"

Allie rolled her eyes, but Audrey could tell something was wrong.

"Hey, you. What's up?"

Audrey sniffed the air and made a face. "Is it 'cause Steve's smell is still lingering around?"

Her half-sister laughed anxiously. "No, not that. Um...I got another letter today."

Audrey pulled out a chair, and Allie sat in it. She hopped onto the counter with concern. "Another one??"

"Isn't that what I just said?" Allie snapped before handing over a worn envelope.

Audrey opened it cautiously before skimming over the letter.

"_Allie Roberts,_

_It's a shame that blood is thicker than water, considering the filthy blood your sister has._

_It's a shame that if you continue to associate with her, your own blood will be spilt, and mix with water._

_My Apologies."_

Audrey looked at Allie, filled with worry.

"Sis, I _really _think you should take this seriously. I mean, considering what I am...and what's happened before..."

Allie waved her off. "You worry too much. I'm the big sister, _I'm_ supposed to worry about _you_, Aud. Besides. Roger's in a mental institution. Not like he can do anything to you, or me, or anyone else."

Audrey set the letter down on the kitchen table hesitantly. "...If you say so..."

Personally, she thought Allie was wrong. Every so often, Roger WOULD mess with her. In her nightmares.

But Allie knew that; she was the one who woke her up mid-scream almost every time.

It was weird; they had stopped, even before she went to Greece for the wedding.

So why had they come back??

_**

* * *

**_

_**THREE ****DAYS LATER...**_

"Look, I know what I saw. And it _looked _like Grover and Allie were- ...Audrey, are you even listening??" Annabeth asked impatiently.

Audrey stopped tapping her pencil and looked over at her. "Hmm? Did you say something, Annabeth?"

Annabeth rolled her bright blue eyes. "Jeez, Audrey. I know it's the last day before spring break and all, but Gods! _Goldfish _have a better attention span than you!"

She chuckled nervously. "Sorry, it's just....something doesn't feel right. At all."

Annabeth wrinkled her nose in amusement. "Wow, you haven't even eaten cafeteria food yet, and you're feeling nauseous?"

As if on cue, the lunch bell rang, and they both jumped up, ready for any excuse to walk around.

* * *

School had been...interesting the past couple weeks. Her whereabouts with Roger had been on the news, and now, with her and Percy dating...needless to say, rumors were going around like wildfire.

Someone had even mentioned that Roger was actually a demon, and Percy had heroically saved her life, hence why they were now going out.

She had laughed out loud.

Audrey had to hand it to Percy, because he knew something was wrong almost as soon as she slid in beside him.

"You alright?"

Audrey waved him off. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just feel weird."

Annabeth smirked at Grover. "Soo...Grover...Mind sharing what YOU did last night??"

He flushed. "...No..."

"Oh, c'mon," Percy chimed, him and Audrey grinning like mad at his squirming.

"...I just...y'know, had a date. No big deal."

"With WHO?!" Annabeth asked with fake surprise.

There was a loud noise under the table, followed by another.

Grover groaned after the second bang, reaching under the table to clutch his foot. "Owww....Okay, I deserved that one.."

Audrey just flat-out laughed.

After lunch was over, Audrey learned she should've trusted her gut.

* * *

"So, you see, by multiplying x by one-fourth, and dividing by the absolute value of y squared and rounded to the nearest hundredth, you'll find a-"

There was a rap at the door, and the room filled with sighs of relief. Math was THE most difficult class to follow. Especially on Fridays.

One of the women from the main office poked her head in before homing in on Audrey. "Audrey Roberts? There's some officers here for you."

The whole room erupted into buzzing, and Audrey felt the blood drain from her face in fear. She slid out of her seat, knees shaking, and followed the woman to the main office.

Franco and another officer were waiting for her. He looked like he wanted to kill himself, rather than be here right now.

"Audrey?"

"Yessir?"

"We need you to answer some questions about your sister, Allie."

Audrey felt faint. "..W-What about her? What's going on??"

Franco took a deep breath. "Well, she's in the hospital recovering, but...we got a call from some fellow apartment tenants, complaining about screaming from your apartment this morning? She had been nearly drowned in the bathtub."

Audrey felt her legs give way, and gripped the door handle to support herself.

She breathed in deeply, then let out a shaky sigh. "...What kind of questions?"

* * *

**Oh my!**

**Review :)**


	2. My Girlfriend Stole a SlapChop!

Well, we continue from the CLIFFY!

**Enjoy :)**

* * *

Audrey swallowed hard as she watched Franco shut the door of the empty classroom ominously before taking the seat in front of her.

His partner had stayed behind to make some calls and such.

"Audrey, I'm _really _sorry about all this. Do you know anyone who might want to hurt her?"

She nodded slowly. "Absolutely. But..he's in a mental institution...So, _noooo_! God, this is going nowhere!" She moaned, banging her head against her arms on the table.

She wasn't helping at all, and Allie could be _dying _for all she knew.

Franco placed a comforting hand on her forearm, and she peered up at him through her right-sided bangs.

"Hmm. I can ask you a few more questions in the car. Right now, I'll just get you to her hospital room, alright?"

She blew the bangs out of her eyes and nodded gratefully, blinking back tears as she followed him out.

Audrey needed a paper bag.

* * *

_**MEANWHILE...**_

As soon as the door shut behind Audrey, the class immediately erupted into full-out talking.

Their teacher didn't even bother trying to silence them, watching Audrey from the door worriedly.

Percy was getting more nervous by the second. He tried to think of anything illegal she could have done in the past forty-eight hours or so.

Finally, Grover nudged him. "Dude, stop staring into space like that. It's creepy."

Percy ignored that, turning to look at him. "Holy crap. Do you think she STOLE that Slap-Chop?!"

Their teacher finally rushed out of the room to see why one of her students was being questioned mid-lesson, and Percy felt his stomach clench.

Now he was seriously nervous.

She wouldn't steal it, would she? It was only eight fricking dollars, for crying out loud...

Annabeth turned in her desk to look at Percy and Grover, who were three rows over. She then casually strolled over to crouch beside Grover's desk.

"I'm getting a bad feeling about this. She told me before lunch that she felt like something was gonna go wrong today."

Percy groaned and hit his head against his desk. "Great. Just _great_! My girlfriend's gonna get arrested for stealing a _Slap-Chop_!!"

Jeff turned to look at him. "Dude, your girlfriend's a criminal? That Audrey chick?"

Percy didn't even bother looking at him, just grunted through the wood of the desk.

Jeff let out a whistle. "That is _so_ _hot_."

Grover cracked up, and Percy just sighed miserably.

But then the teacher walked hurriedly back in. "Oh my. Oh my oh my oh my. This is just so tragic," she was muttering to herself.

This got Percy's attention. Stealing a Slap-Chop? Funny, definitely. Stupid, absolutely. Hot, maybe. But tragic? Not at all.

"What's wrong?" Angela, the class suck-up, asked with concern.

The woman's brows furrowed, then she sighed in defeat. "No use not telling you. Apparently something's happened to her sister. Something about drowning."

Percy's head shot up at that.

That couldn't be Allie, could it?

No, there must have been some kind of misunderstanding.

But Annabeth and Grover just exchanged looks and nodded. Grover looked to Percy, who nodded as well.

All three's hands shot up. "We need to go to the bathroom!" They shouted at once.

_**

* * *

**_

_**AN ****HOUR LATER...**_

When Franco finally got them there, he got called out on another case, and she was left by herself outside Allie's room.

She had been sleeping when Audrey arrived, and the doctor advised against visiting at the moment.

Audrey was just waiting for the all-clear from that stupid doctor.

Meanwhile, she was counting the tiles on the floor and comparing it to the number of tiles on the ceiling.

So far, it was 79 on the floor and 106 on the ceiling.

Audrey had lost her place, AGAIN, and was about to start over, really pissed off now. But then she heard the squeak of shoes sliding around the corner, and glanced up from the floor.

Great. She lost her place AGAIN!!

_ARGHH!!_

But then her anger totally faded as she saw Percy sliding all Tom-Cruise like against the tile floor down the hall.

* * *

She shot out of the chair, just standing there, and he finally found her.

"Is she okay? Are _you _okay?"

She was doing so well at not crying, and was just barely going to get out an explanation about Allie's condition, but then he just HAD to ask if she was alright.

And that's what did it.

All she was able to do was nod before burying her head against him as she was pulled into a hug.

She saw Grover and Annabeth sliding around the corner as well, and gave them a half-wave through her tears, which she wiped away as best she could.

"How'd you guys get here so quick? School's not even out yet."

Grover grinned proudly. "Why, we got sick, of course. All you need is some of that mystery meat from lunch, ketchup packets, and applesauce, and voila! Instant health-room pass!"

"And then Grover snuck us out after faking a call to all our moms," Annabeth concluded with an equally proud grin before peering through the window of Allie's room.

"How is she? What happened, do you know?"

"I'm not real sure...the doc says she's fine, though. Apparently some neighbors heard screaming and they called the police...and they found her....well, almost drowned in the tub," Audrey concluded, barely getting out that last part.

Percy noticed and put an arm around her shoulders. Grover looked almost as emotional as she was, which was kind of odd, but she didn't really think too hard on it at the time.

"When can we see her?"

Audrey shrugged. "When he says so."

"Which would be in a few minutes," one of his nurses added, overhearing the conversation, before continuing to walk down the hall.

They blinked at the woman's back, and then Audrey held up a hand. "Psh. What I _meant _was in a few minutes."


	3. Let's Go To Prison!

**Thanks so much for all the reviews! So many compliments!**

**Hahaha glad you guys liked the Slap-Chop bit, too!**

**Enjoy the heaviness.**

* * *

Allie's blonde hair looked dull and lackluster; very odd for her.

Her whole face, even her lips, were quite pale, but they immediately broke into a thin smile when she saw Audrey walk through her hospital door.

It was enough to nearly break Audrey's heart. She felt so guilty; she just knew somehow this was all her fault.

The others had decided to give the two sisters some time alone. So instead, Percy and Grover were seeing how many passing interns they could annoy.

Allie's grin grew, and she patted a spot on her bed. Audrey grinned back and sat as instructed.

"So. They called you?"

"Who else would they call? Apollo doesn't even know how to _work _a cell phone, and mom left hers in the bathroom again, so that rules them out for the next five weeks."

They both laughed. Allie squeezed her hand. "It was so scary. I was in nothing but a robe, I seriously thought they were gonna, like, _rape _me or something. But the person just beat me up and tried to drown me. No biggie," she said sarcastically with a laugh.

Audrey sighed. "Just like in that letter. Your blood mixed with water."

So it really WAS her fault.

Allie sat up, wincing, and looked her younger sister right in the eyes. "Audrey, look at me. Don't you dare, even for a second, blame yourself for this. You hear me?"

She nodded, but she still felt a bit guilty, of course.

* * *

Allie glanced outside to see Grover and Percy making wild gestures while trying to explain something to some poor young female intern.

She waggled her eyebrows at Audrey. "Uh-oh. Looks like you got some competition!"

They both laughed again, and laughed even harder as they watched her practically sprint down the hallway.

Percy and Grover just high-fived each other proudly.

Annabeth was in the corner of the bench, eyes closed, but the huge frown she was wearing told Audrey she was definitely struggling to fall asleep.

Audrey grinned at Allie. "Percy apparently thought I was getting arrested for stealing that Slap-Chop."

Allie's eyes widened. "...DID you?"

"NO!!"

"Just asking! That's one hell of an invention, that Slap-Chop. I had so much fun with it last night."

Was it really just twenty-four hours ago that Allie was happy and healthy?

Audrey was about to say something perverted when Franco rapped lightly on the door and motioned for Audrey to come outside.

Percy, Annabeth and Grover suddenly looked very grim and tense. Audrey patted Allie's leg before following him.

* * *

Once outside, Franco cleared his throat. "Not long after I got you here, the station got a call from a nearby mental institution. Apparently, Roger wants to talk with you. Says it would be in your best interest to hear what he has to say."

Audrey bit her lip, and his eyes tightened with understanding and concern. "You don't have to go, Audrey."

She shook her head. "No. No, I have to. After what's happened to Allie...I don't wanna take any chances. Could you take me?"

As she followed Franco out, Percy lightly touched her arm. "Be careful, Audrey." She gave him a reassuring smile before stepping into the elevator.

She was assuring everyone but herself these days.

_**

* * *

**_

_**AN ****HOUR LATER...**_

They had put Roger in a cage-like area, with a long table and two chairs, one on each side.

After she sat down, Roger outstretched his handcuffed hands. They stopped about two feet from her own hands, and he leaned back casually.

"See? I can't harm you at the moment." Audrey didn't exactly feel comforted by the way he had said "at the moment".

"So. Roger. What do you want?"

"How's Allie doing?"

Audrey gritted her teeth. What a douche. He DID have something to do with it. She could tell by the grin he was giving her.

"You know very damn well how she's doing," she stated calmly.

Roger leaned forward. "You wanna know a secret, Audrey? She won't be the first. I'll keep doing it, for as long as I have to."

"What do you want?" She asked again.

He smiled at her. "Revenge. I want you to suffer like I suffered. And I want out of this place."

Audrey grinned and held up a tape recorder from one of her hoodie pockets. "Well, you got your wish. Since I just caught you, _on tape_, admitting you had a role in my sister's assault, they'll be moving you to federal prison. Apparently they got wind of your other victims, and they're punishing you as an adult, _not _a minor."

* * *

Roger glowered at her. "You little bi..." He cut himself off before smiling pleasantly. "Actually, she's your _half_-sister. If she was fully related to you, she would be dead right now."

He leaned forward somewhat threateningly. "So, tell me. How's your friend Percy doing? I wonder what happens when you mix a Son of Poseidon with fire...Hmm...should make for an interesting experiment, eh?"

Audrey rose from her seat. "That's it. This conversation is over. Franco has what he needed now. Have fun being someone's bitch in prison, douchebag."

And with that, she proudly marched out of the caged room.

But her confidence faltered just a bit when she heard him shout after her, "You're next, Audrey!! And no letter's gonna tip you off this time!!"

* * *

**Uh-oh! **

**Oh my, oh dear!**

**What's next?**


	4. April Fool's

**Here it is!**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Two weeks passed by quickly. Allie was released a day after the assault, and everything was somewhat normal- if not a little tense for Audrey.

Slowly, though, she figured Roger had just been mad and had tried to scare her.

"Just be careful, alright?" Percy warned as she climbed into the car.

Audrey rolled her eyes. "Jeez, Jackson. You act like I never drive. WHO drove us to Hollywood, again??"

"...You."

"Exactly," she said cheerfully.

He glanced around at the passersby anxiously. "Yeah, I know, but...after what Roger said...and it's been so calm lately, it just makes me nervous."

Audrey rolled her eyes and kissed his cheek. "Don't worry. Worrying's for grownups."

He just grinned, and she grinned back as she pulled out.

* * *

It was April Fool's day. Saturday. And Audrey was extra cautious, because she had a bad feeling about today as well.

_Whatever comes, comes,_ she thought to herself with a determined nod before making a right turn, into the Wal-Mart parking lot.

One day, she was going to have someone come in there with her, and they would bring a video camera, and do some of the things on that list: 202 Fun Things to do at Wal-Mart.

But that wouldn't be today.

All she _really _wanted was to get the groceries, go home, make sure Allie was alright, pull on some sweats, and take a nap.

And maybe do something with Percy later. _Maybe_; she was beyond exhausted.

She had had the nightmares again last night. Five of them. Scary ones.

Audrey had just pulled out into traffic, eight Wal-Mart sacks later, when her cell rang.

* * *

She flipped it open, not even looking at the Caller ID. She didn't want to crash.

"Hello?"

"_Hey, listen, um...Zeus just struck Grover's house with a lightning bolt. What should we do?!"_ Annabeth asked desperately. She could hear Grover yelling in the background.

Audrey nearly slammed on her brakes, but stopped herself, focusing on driving. "ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"

"_Ha! No. April Fool's!"_ They yelled together before laughing.

Audrey rolled her eyes.

"_Oh, c'mon, Aud. You know that was a good one."_

"Oh, trust me, I'm laughing it up on the inside," she muttered sarcastically, making a right turn at the light.

Annabeth chuckled. "_So whatchya doing?"_

"Trying to get back home. I feel like I could sleep for years," she said with a tired laugh.

Annabeth made a noise of agreement. _"Ugh, I know what you mean. So, listen, there's something I think you should know about Grover. Um...last night, I saw him with-"_

"Annabeth, hold on a second," Audrey said distractedly. She squinted at the sight. "...What the hell...??"

"_What? What's going on?"_ Annabeth asked worriedly.

"There's this car barreling right through the red light. It looks like it's heading right for me!"

Annabeth hesitated, then laughed anxiously._ "This is just an April Fool's joke, right?"_

"Sadly, no. Hold on!" Audrey said weakly.

She knew she only had two choices: Take the car head-on, and die along with those behind her, or swerve to the left and only take part of the blow.

"Annabeth? Look for me in the nearest hospital," she said shakily before flooring the gas and swerving to the left.

People honked, but passersby gasped in horror as her car was hit, flipped, and skidded to a stop.

The person in the other car simply sped away, but not before Audrey had seen the driver.

Before she could comprehend the true horror of the driver's identity, she had passed out.

_**

* * *

**_

_**THREE ****HOURS LATER...**_

"Oh, hey Annabeth. Did you see that wreck on the news? I wouldn't be surprised if the driver's dead by now," Percy commented casually before spraying some whip cream into his mouth.

Damn, was he hungry.

_"Oh, um, Percy?"_ Was her brilliant reply over her phone. He could hear beeping, like in those hospital shows.

"What?"

_"I really, really think you should get down here. We're at the hospital downtown," _Annabeth said weakly.

Percy made a weird face, even though he knew she couldn't see it. "Is this an April Fool's joke?" He asked, sounding weird due to the mouthful of Reddi Whip.

_"I wish it was."_

"What happened? Who's hurt? Is it Allie again?...Is Audrey there yet?"

Annabeth made a little whine-like noise, like he did when he was little and he had to relay messages for his mom.

_"Just please get down here, alright? I'll explain it then, just...please." _She hung up, and he immediately grabbed his jacket.

He hadn't heard Annabeth that upset in a long time.

* * *

When he got there, Annabeth and Grover were pacing worriedly. Allie was watching intently from a hospital window.

Well, guess it wasn't Allie, then.

He eyed everyone carefully. "...What's going on? What happened?"

Grover couldn't look at him, just glanced his way before blinking real fast.

Annabeth's eyes were a bit puffy. "It's Audrey. I was on the phone with her, and...she was in a car wreck."

Percy felt a little sick. He _thought _he had seen red hair in that car on the news.

He peered through the window beside Allie. "Is she alright?"

Annabeth threw a hand up in frustration. "None of us know. The doctors aren't telling us anything."

Percy found it very hard to see her like that. What visible skin wasn't cut or bruised was pale, and she looked so small in that huge white bed, especially hooked up to all those random machines and IVs.

Audrey wasn't a small person. What did they do?

Allie's voice was shaky and quiet. "...What do we do now?"

Annabeth glanced over at her, then sighed sadly. "...We wait. And cross our fingers."

**

* * *

**

**Ahhhh!**

**Worst. April Fool's. Ever.**

**Right?**

**Review!**


	5. Yet Another Brush With Death

**So. Apparently some people are mad because they don't like the story idea.**

**Sorry, you should've voted. And if you did, the votes didn't sway in your favor.**

**BUT! **

**Maybe i can do the other idea as yet another fic, if i don't nearly kill myself trying to do this one.**

**LoL**

**End of the year and all that, benchmark tests coming up..**

**ANYWAY! Enjoy.**

* * *

It was hard to wake up for some reason.

_Well, probably because of the whole car wreck scenario, but still_, Audrey thought groggily as she squeezed her eyes shut tighter, blinking them open.

Her vision focused to see Allie on the edge of her bed, the same place Audrey had sat when _Allie _was the one everyone was worried about.

Allie heard her stirring and grinned down at her. "Hey there. Creepiest thing is, my room's right across the hall."

Audrey smiled tiredly. "Hey. How long have I been out of it?"

"About two days, two and a half."

Two whole days? No _wonder_ she felt all stiff.

She attempted to sit up, then winced and flopped back down. She wouldn't be trying THAT maneuver for a while.

Allie gestured toward the tv. "You woke up just in time. Dwight and Jim should be fighting any minute now."

The Office? So it was easily the afternoon, depending on the network Allie was watching. If it was TBS, it was probably about five-thirty, six at the most.

"You missed it. Percy and Grover got _soooo _mad at one of the interns yesterday."

Audrey sighed and shook her head, grinning all the while. "Oh, Gods. What'd they do this time?"

"Well, since I was the only blood relative, I was the only one they'd let stay overnight. As you can imagine, Percy was annoyed. Grover and Annabeth were ticked, too," Allie explained thoughtfully.

"They didn't yell at her, did they?"

"Not much. But she was really petite, so who _knows _what it sounded like in _her _tiny ears?"

"That's _so _wrong, Allie!"

"But _so _right."

"Shut up."

They both started giggling, and Allie patted Audrey's non-bruised thigh happily. "I told them I'd call when you woke up, so..."

"Okay."

Audrey sighed and laid back in her pillows. Her head hurt like crap. Actually, now that she thought of it, so did everything else.

Dammit.

She just HAD to be hit by a speeding car.

She closed her eyes and listened to The Office, not having enough energy to keep her eyes open and watch it.

_**

* * *

**_

_**SEEMINGLY ****FOREVER BUT PROBABLY ONLY A HALF-HOUR LATER...**_

"I thought you said she woke up?" Annabeth whispered.

"I'm _very _awake, trust me," Audrey whispered back as she slowly opened one eye...and was bombarded by Annabeth's death-grip hug.

"Thank the Gods you're alright, Audrey!"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You were in a car wreck, _hello_!" Allie interjected.

Audrey waved her off with her good wrist, both eyes now open. "Ehh, I've been through worse. Where's Dumb and Dumber?"

"Percy and Grover?"

Audrey nodded, then shook her head. "Wait, no....Grover and Percy. Yeah. That's the right order."

Allie rolled her eyes. "They're coming. _Apparently _I interrupted their guys' day out."

"Oh, Gods forbid," Annabeth commented, and Audrey nodded with a smirk.

Annabeth looked at Allie, who shrugged in a "Go for it" kind of way. Audrey looked between the two suspiciously.

"What?"

"Well, um...what I was trying to tell you over the phone a couple days ago was that I know who Grover's going out with."

"Who?!"

"Your sister," Annabeth said carefully.

* * *

Audrey blinked in surprise. "Really? I always thought _you_ and him would date."

"No!!"

"Oh, _excuse_ me!"

She smiled at Allie. "But I like you two going out all the same."

Allie turned red, and Audrey laughed triumphantly.

"Ha! Now someone _else_ can suffer, instead of me and Percy!"

She and Annabeth exchanged evil grins, and Allie slowly stood up, backing out of the room.

"I'm just..gonna...go out here and make a phone call!!!" She said quickly, practically running out of the room with Annabeth hot on her heels.

Audrey laughed as she watched them "discuss" who Allie was calling.

While they were still having a "heated discussion" over Allie's cell, she saw Percy and Grover in the hallway, and her mood improved even further.

Everyone came back in, and any idiot could tell how relieved Allie was that they had distracted Annabeth.

Grover was the first in the room, and pointed a finger at her. "Worst. April Fool's. EVER."

"Oh, and like the Zeus hitting your house with lightning thing wasn't spazz-worthy at all!!"

Grover ruffled her hair happily. "I'll let you have this one. Consider it your 'Welcome-Back-to-the-Land-of-the-the-Living Present'!"

"Thanks, Grover. It means a lot, truly," she said with mock emotion.

"Hey, we're _very _kind souls. We gave up a day to ourselves _just _to come see you!"

Audrey looked from him to Percy, then rolled her eyes. "I feel so loved."

_**

* * *

**_

_**AN ****HOUR LATER...**_

Everyone was laughing uncontrollably as the nurse strolled in. She checked Audrey's vitals, and Audrey tried her best to calm the laughter for her.

Finally, she wrote something on Audrey's chart and stuck it back on the edge of her bed. "Visiting hours are over in two minutes. I'd start saying your goodbyes now," she said before shutting the door.

They all sighed, and took turns hugging her goodbye and such.

Allie was last to do so. "I'm going home for tonight, seeing as you're awake. I'm sure you'll have enough company."

Audrey cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Percy yawned from the chair nearest her. "_I'm_ staying."

She looked between them both. "As great as that sounds...didn't that intern say you _couldn't_? You know, since we're not blood-related?"

Oh Gods. He wasn't going to randomly admit they were secretly related or something, was he?!

Percy grinned. "She's not on duty today."

Allie grinned as well. "Besides. We could always say you were cousins."

She looked between Audrey and Percy suggestively before shrugging with a smirk. "Well, kissing cousins, I guess."

Before Audrey could shoot back a comment about Grover, she shut the door and bolted down the hall.

She must've figured Audrey would shoot something back.

Percy grinned. "It's just us."

"Scary, isn't it? Two demigods in a room with machinery and needles.."

He laughed. "Even scarier? The two demigods are _us_."

"Oh, the horror!!"

They both laughed again, and Audrey patted the space on the hospital bed beside her. "Better get comfy. It's gonna be a _long _night..."

She looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully as he took his spot beside her. "You know, that sounded a LOT more perverted than I intended..."

"Eh, I'm used to that from you."

"Yeah, me AND you."

"_You're _more perverted than _I _am!"

"No _way_."

"_Yes _way."

"I disagree."

"I disagree with your disagreement."

"Do you _seriously _wanna do this right now??"

"Do you?"

"Of course."

"Thought so, me too."

"Then where were we?? Oh, right- _you're _more perverted than _I _am!"

_**

* * *

**_

_**HOURS ****LATER...**_

They had argued rather stupidly about the pervertedness until Percy was somehow able to twist a "That's what she said" out of one of Audrey's comments.

That pretty much settled who was more perverted. Plus, it made them laugh so hard that Audrey lost the energy to argue.

"Why can't you just let yourself go to sleep?" Percy asked lazily, continuing to play with her hair.

Audrey glared at the tv, not having enough energy or willpower to turn the glare up to his level. "BECAUSE, I'm not..." she cut off with a yawn. "...Tired."

"Oh, not at all."

"_Nooo_, I just yawned because I _felt _like it."

Percy sighed. "Interesting. You're so stubborn that you even do the opposite of what _you_ tell yourself."

Audrey yawned again. "I'm just _that_ special."

"I bet if you closed your eyes, you'd fall asleep in no time."

"Ha, wrong," she said tiredly before closing her eyes.

She was snoring less than a minute later.

* * *

When she woke up again, it was pitch black. Percy wasn't on the bed with her anymore, and that side felt uncomfortably cold.

Audrey blinked to get her eyes to adjust faster; she heard rustling nearby the machinery.

Was it Percy? Please, Gods, let it be Percy and not a homicidal nurse.

As if knowing about one of her biggest fears, she felt the IV twitching, and her arm started burning.

What was going on??

The rustling grew louder; it was definitely a person.

The door to her room opened, and it was Percy.

That answered THAT question. So who was fiddling with her IV?

Audrey squeezed her eyes shut tighter as the burning grew worse, spreading to her other arm.

Lights were clicked on.

Apparently Percy had seen the stranger in the room, because she heard sounds of struggle.

Audrey was too dazed to open her eyes. She felt feverish.

She then felt someone feeling her pulse and such. "Audrey, are you alright?"

She shook her head stiffly, rubbing her arm. "Burning," was all she could get out.

Something was stuck in her arm, hair was brushed out of her face, there was pressure, and suddenly...it was like when she had broken that three-day fever in Memphis.

Everything became sharper to her, and she wasn't sweaty anymore.

Audrey opened her eyes slowly, and it was more or less dark again.

Percy was above her line of vision, and she tried to focus her sight again.

"..What just happened?" She asked slowly.

* * *

He was glancing around. "There was somebody in the room, they put some kind of poison in your IV. Any longer and you would've...you know."

She nodded. "Could you see who it was?"

"No. I tried to grab a hold of 'em, but they just..disappeared. In thin air. Luckily, that tiny intern was with me, so I didn't look _totally _crazy. She saved you."

So _that _was who had been feeling her pulse and giving her an injection.

All at once, it hit her. Someone- and it was pretty clear who- was trying to kill her.

Again.

And she had been seconds away from dying.

Again.

Percy could tell she was realizing all this, and laid back in the bed with her. She shifted slowly so his arm was around her and she was leaning against him, and he could feel her shaking.

"Hey. Percy?"

"What?"

"Can I tell you something?"

"Anything."

"...I'm kind of scared now," She said quietly, barely above a whisper. "I have to see Roger again, and I don't want to, but until I do, this stuff's going to keep happening."

Percy nodded and tightened his grip, and she shut her eyes hesitantly. "Well, right now, don't worry about it. I'm here, alright?"

She nodded tiredly before falling back asleep.

* * *

_**BREAKING NEWS: ...I'm sick**_.

**Not as cool as you thought it'd be fro breaking news, i know.**

**I got a sore throat and cough, which is a VERY bad mix..**

**Reviews would probably make me feel a bit better....hint-hint.**


	6. AUTHOR'S NOTE: Pics

**Hey!**

**I'm working on the next chapp, i promise, but i just figured some of you might want to see a pic of Audrey.**

**I googled it and found one of Hayley Williams (lead singer of Paramore) that looks almost EXACTLY how i pictured Audrey!**

**(Weird thing is, the song Audrey sang for Apollo and Laura's wedding was "Looking Up", which happens to be a song by Paramore! Creepy..)**

**Anyways, i have the address on my profile, under the heading with my other character picture for my Bleach fanfic.**

**It's number 2. You know, the one with Audrey's name...**

**Haha anyways, if you want, you can check that out.**

**Later!**


	7. Michael Myers is SO Judging You!

**_Sorry, guys! I was having issues with this fic...for some reason, i just wasn't into it, y'know?_**

**But then i went back and re-re-read my other fics in the Toga Series or whatever, and i got it back!**

**Was it just me, or were the previous chapps in this a bit...of compared to my style before?**

**Oh well. Either way, i finally updated!**

**Enjoy. :)**

* * *

Audrey was still shaken up about...The Incident, as she and Percy called it, even after she was admitted out of the hospital.

They had intended _not _to mention it, knowing it wouldn't do any good, but somehow Annabeth sucked it out of them.

It sucked majorly, too; Audrey couldn't blame it entirely on Percy, because they cracked and told Annabeth at the same time.

So now, five days after the car wreck, she was roaming the hallways of Roger's jail. This time, she felt a bit better about it; no matter how many times she told him Roger wouldn't be able to do anything today, Percy insisted on coming.

Personally, Audrey was relieved; she didn't like asking for help.

Roger seemed delighted once he saw both of them.

He even clapped his hands a little; she would've given him a weird look if:

a. he wasn't a killer, and

b. he hadn't been giving them a mocking look at the same time.

"Well, well. Audrey and Percy. Have a nice stay in New York's lovely downtown hospital, Aud?"

* * *

Percy tensed, but Audrey squeezed his hand under the stainless-steel table so he wouldn't do something stupid.

"Actually, it was. There towels were always warm in the morning. The food wasn't too good though, I made people bring me a different fast food ever day," she informed him cheerfully.

Roger blinked. "...Nothing odd happened?"

Audrey pretended to think back, then shook her head with an innocent smile. "Nope! Not really. How's your stay going so far? You know, since you'll be here for fifteen-to-life."

She could see Roger's fists clenching from over here, and Percy squeezed her hand too. She could tell he was trying not to grin as she psyched out a killer.

But then her former friend flashed the creepiest, most innocent grin she had seen him do in a long time. "Actually, quite moderate. You see, it's a good thing they gave me what I asked for: a steak, medium-rare, all the trimmings, and some wine."

Audrey blinked. "Whoa, how'd you manage that?"

"Well, I gave them an ultimatum: gimme the steak by midnight on the third night of your stay in the hospital, or you don't wake up. _That _got them hauling ass to get me a steak," he said with a chuckle.

Percy tensed up again, and she squeezed his hand especially hard. "Ow," she heard him mutter.

She ignored him, narrowing her eyes at Roger.

"Hm. Good to know. So, Roger. How'd you pull it off? With my IV, I mean. I'm curious."

"Audrey, you're interrupting my story, I'm not done. How _rude_!" He scolded, to which she scowled, but said nothing.

He cleared his throat importantly before continuing. "After my lovely dinner, which I shared with my inmate, I got moved to a solitary cell."

"Dare I ask how you managed that?"

"I _killed _Tom, the aforementioned inmate."

* * *

Percy and Audrey were silent, but then she gasped as it dawned on her why this all sounded familiar. She hit Percy's arm several times excitedly. "Hey, hey, Percy! _I _remember this! Remember when we watched that one movie, umm...Law Abiding Citizen! Remember?"

Percy finally loosened up, and grinned as he suddenly remembered as well. "_Riiiight_, with Gerard Butler! Yeah...he killed _his _inmate, too!"

They both smirked at Roger, who was utterly confused as to their sudden mood changes. "How un-original. It's rather unlike you, Roger," Audrey scolded, just like he had done less than two minutes ago.

He scowled, just like she had, but then he smirked. "Perhaps you're right. Except everything _he _did had a greater purpose. I killed _my _inmate for the hell of it, I was pretending it was one of you. And until every demand, in every sequence, is met, I'll keep doing so."

He leaned closer to them, looking right at Audrey. "That's the scary thing about people like me. We _have _no motive. We don't think about guilt, or feel any remorse. We just _do_."

Percy broke the silence. "...Like the Nike thing? Just _do _it."

Audrey bit her lip to keep from smiling. He was catching on; anything random threw Roger off guard. Being tense showed weakness in Roger's eyes.

As expected, Roger tried again. "Remember that fire we talked about, Audrey? Interesting experiment, I think. You never answered. Don't _you _think it would be interesting?"

Percy noticed how she immediately forgot her own strategy, and squeezed her hand again. Audrey recovered, giving Percy a moody look.

"_I _tried an experiment on him once. I tried to drown him. I almost succeeded, too."

Percy was about to correct her, but she nudged his leg, and he coughed instead.

Roger just blinked, then laughed. Threw his head back and _laughed_.

"You two are so frustrating, yet so entertaining. Your innocence...it's always the most beautiful before someone like me comes around and taints it."

The guard nearby banged on the cage; his time was up.

The two teens stood, and Audrey cleared her throat. "Well, Roger, unless you have some more fancy words to throw our way.."

"Actually, I do. I would watch your friends very carefully. Accidents _do _happen, after all." He chuckled, then let the guard lead him by the handcuffs towards his cell.

As soon as he was out of sight, Percy slung an arm around her shoulders, and she shuddered. "God, I had weird friends.."

_**

* * *

**_

_**SEVEN ****HOURS LATER...**_

"Can I ask you a random question?" Audrey asked, plucking another few pieces of popcorn out of the bowl.

"When has the word 'No' ever stopped you from doing _anything_?"

"Actually, the word 'No' means a lot when coming from _other _people. I just don't listen to you, Annabeth, or my sister," she informed him.

He made a face at her, but its effect was a lot less powerful since the only light was from the tv.

She glanced at the aforementioned tv as Annie, Laurie Strode's slightly-slutty friend, was about to get killed by Michael Myers as she checked her car like an idiot.

"What do you think your mom and Franco are doing right now?"

Percy laughed. "Wow. I didn't think you cared, as long as you came over here."

She shrugged, glancing at the tv again. "Hey, I _did _live here. I care about their whereabouts!"

"Alright, jeez! They said they were celebrating their anniversary...which I didn't even know they did, EVER..but they said they wouldn't be back until Saturday, which is two days away...sooo...I have absolutely _no _idea."

Audrey suddenly sat up. "Holy crap..what if they're getting married in Vegas?!"

Percy started laughing again. "Yeah, right. After your mom's big wedding, I highly doubt she'll settle for anything less. Nah, I think they're in Paris. They were talking about a lot of French stuff before they left."

Audrey threw up a hand. "_Hello_, Percy! Marrying in Paris _definitely _tops Greece. It's like the romance capital!"

She grinned. "You know what she should do? She should have trained doves fly out from around her when she's walking down the aisle."

Percy smirked. "While that would be truly epic, could you imagine all the bird poop? I mean, what if it landed on someone important?"

"Like who, Zeus? Obama? I mean, come on!" She grinned. "Besides...does it matter? WE'RE not at the wedding!"

Percy pointed at her with a nod. "You are truly evil sometimes, you know that?"

She let out an evil laugh, and at the same time, Annie screamed her dying scream on the tv. They jumped, looked at the tv, looked at each other, and busted out laughing.

"Whoa, that was like..._jedi_!" She said between laughs.

"How was that jedi? I mean, epic, sure, but jedi..?"

"Because jedis just WISH they could do that!"

"So then...it's a jedi AMBITION!" Percy declared.

Audrey rolled her eyes, nudging him lightly with her toe. "Okay, fine, Mr. Specific."

He made a face. "Ewwwwy, toes!" He cried out in a girly voice, making Audrey laugh.

"Now, why would you do that? That just makes me wanna annoy you some more," she commented, digging her toe right above his knee.

"That doesn't annoy me."

She huffed, ceasing the toe action, pretending to watch the movie. Once he was occupied, she slyly lifted her foot, holding it in place inches away from the side of his face.

_Wait for it....WAAAAIITT FOR IT...._

Finally, as expected, he turned to tell her something, and jumped about five feet. Popcorn flew everywhere, and she pointed at him and laughed.

He glared at her. "Oh, it is SO on."

"Bring it, Flounder!"

"What the- ...Flounder??"

"I ran out of ideas."

"Oh." Then he noticed the popcorn, then stared at her very seriously. "Audrey Roberts, you _spilled _the _popcorn_."

She tried not to giggle as she stared back just as ominously. "Why yes. Yes, I did."

"This is _serious_."

"Could you NOT tell this is my serious face?"

"You don't know how to be serious, Audrey!"

"Not true! I can be very serious!"

They had a stare-off, and Audrey finally threw a kernel at his face. He blinked, and she yelled triumphantly.

In response, he threw some back at her. She threw some more back, and after a bit more of this, he ended up tickling her, pinning her on the couch.

They were both laughing, and she was using the only defense she had: popcorn. Yeah, she didn't stand a chance.

Finally, she yelled out between laughs, "Okay, I give! Don't make me laugh to death, Jackson!"

She took a few breaths, then smirked. "You're not gonna get rid of me that easily. Sorry, but you'll have to get me to go away the old-fashioned way and just dump me."

He grinned and brushed the hair out of her face. "Ehhh, I know that's what you want, so why would I try and make _you _happy?"

"Very true."

They stared at each other for a minute, and then Audrey smirked. "You do realize you currently have me pinned underneath you on a couch, right?"

"Oh, I know."

"Percy Jackson, you better watch out. Stare at me any longer, and this could turn into a corny teen movie where they end up making out on the couch."

"Oh, why would I want that? That's _ewwy_."

"Wow. Ewwy is such a _manly _word."

"You bet it is!"

"...Percy?"

"What?"

"You're still staring at me. It's quite nerve-wracking."

Seriously, did she have a mark on her face, or a zit, or _something_? If so, it would be just her luck that he would notice it.

But he just blinked a couple times and laughed it off, turning a little red. "Sorry, I was, uh...zoning out, I guess."

Audrey eyed him with a suspicious smile. "Percy, were you..Were you 'admiring my beauty'?"

"N-No!"

Her mouth formed an O as she laughed. "Yes, I do believe you were! Percy, you think I'm beautiful! I knew it, I KNEW you weren't just messing with me during the rehearsal dinner!"

* * *

"Was not!"

"Oh, so you agree that you were NOT messing with me."

"No, I meant-"

"Just admit it, Percy. Yooouuu think I'm preeetttyyy," she teased in a sing-song voice.

They had a stare-off.

"...You're doing it again."

"Oh, come on, that time it was a stare-off!!"

"Uh-huh. Sure. Prove it! Don't look at me for five whole minutes, I dare you."

"You're SO on!"

"Fine."

_**

* * *

**_

_**FORTY ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"Are you sure he said for US to come over?" Annabeth asked hesitantly as Grover stretched and grabbed Percy's apartment key from above the door frame.

Scary how he knew where that was located.

"Sure! What else could he be doing on a Thursday night..." Grover trailed off as they unlocked the door.

He and Annabeth continued to stare, waiting for them to notice them. Then again, how could they?

"..._Besides _making out with Audrey amidst a sea of popcorn," Grover finished rather loudly.

They both jumped, sitting straight up, mortified.

How long had they been standing there?

Annabeth pointed at the tv with a smirk. "Audrey, Percy? Michael Myers is _so _judging you right now."


	8. Are We There Yet?

**Sorry for the virtually nonexistent updates, guys!**

**I really don't have a good excuse besides the fact that i have 24 other stories, im going into high school, and i am a ginger.**

**Haha no offense to any gingers. i just need an excuse so i dont get mauled.**

**Thanks for waiting, and enjoy!**

* * *

Percy cleared his throat while Audrey picked some popcorn out of her shirt as she adjusted it; it had "somehow" been hitched up a little above her hips.

Both of them were so red that Audrey's hair looked dull and brown in comparison.

Grover was about to make a perverted comment, but then remembered Halloween was on and flipped onto the couch between the two.

"Oooh, I _love_ this movie."

Annabeth hopped between them as well, grinning excitedly. "This is one of my favorite parts!"

Audrey and Percy exchanged a look behind the other two, and Percy cleared his throat suggestively before standing up.

"I'm just gonna go to the...kitchen.."

She shot up as well, and they practically ran to the far end of the apartment. "Y'know, I'm hungry too!...I'll just go with you to fix a...sandwich..."

"Wow, Percy, _I_ didn't know your kitchen was relocated to the farthest hallway," Grover commented, making Annabeth giggle.

_**

* * *

**_

_**SEVEN ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"So, um, what'd I miss?" Audrey asked innocently as she flopped back onto the couch. Grover watched Percy follow suit, and just smirked.

"Well, that must've been one complex sandwich to take so long to make. Tell me, Percy...was it a HOT sandwich?"

"Actually, it WAS," he replied innocently, making Audrey roll her eyes and Annabeth giggle again.

The next few weeks were moderately normal. Well, as normal as a few weeks in the lives of a few demigods under constant Roger-Threat-Mode could be.

Audrey and Percy continued going out, Grover and Allie went out, and even her nightmares started fading away little by little.

So when Allie presented the idea of going back to Memphis for the BBQ Fest, Audrey wasn't as hesitant as she probably should have been.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm totally aware that that's probably not the best thing for me right now. I mean, my time in Memphis wasn't exactly happy. But it IS where I grew up, and I happen to know a few people entering the contest," Audrey mused to Annabeth in homeroom.

Her friend nodded slowly. "On _one _hand, you probably don't need to be going back there. But on the _other _hand...Maybe going back to your hometown for a day or two is really what you need. Plus, the more you move around, the harder it is for Roger to threaten you," Annabeth pointed out.

"Yeah, but then he can _easily _pick you guys off one by one, and I wouldn't even have a clue!"

"Well, then...Guess we'll just have to come with you."

Audrey stared at her. "You're joking, right?"

"Nope."

"Dude, we've been out of school WAAAYYY too often lately. I don't wanna drag you guys down with me."

"Since _when _have demigods such as ourselves cared what the _school_ thinks of our whereabouts?"

"But Apollo and Laura.."

"Absolutely love us, and probably will think you could use the distraction. What with all that's happened, your hometown and your friends are the perfect mix for you right now."

They had a stare-off, until finally some idiot made a rather perverted observation and they broke eye contact.

Audrey sighed. "I guess _that _was a sign telling me you guys should tag along."

Everyone stared as Annabeth pumped her fist and danced a little in her chair. "HECK YES!"

It was rather unlike her.

_**

* * *

**_

_**TWO ****DAYS LATER...**_

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Oh. Okay."

Silence.

Grover nudged Audrey again, and she nodded. "Excuse me? Sorry to bother you again. Are we there yet?"

The cab driver sighed to himself. "No, miss. We're not."

"Oh, alright."

Annabeth rolled her eyes and continued reading, and Percy skipped a couple songs on his iPod, totally oblivious.

Allie was in the passenger seat flipping through radio stations. Thanks to her beauty and uncanny ability to know when to shut up (unlike Grover and Audrey, obviously), the cabbie didn't really mind.

Audrey and Grover counted off ten seconds on their fingers, and then she cleared her throat. "Sorry, how about now?"

"What?"

"Are we there _now_?"

Another sigh. "_No_."

"Fine."

They counted to fifteen this time, and Grover stifled a laugh as she coughed rather loudly.

"Hey, are we there yet?"

"NO, miss. In fact, we're not much closer than we were when you _last_ asked, a few seconds ago."

"_Thirty-five_ seconds ago, if you wanna get technical."

"I _don't _want to get technical, thank you."

"Well, _that's_ a _shame_, mister."

He just sighed.

"This guy's _good_," she mouthed to Grover.

"I KNOW! I would've killed you by now," he mouthed back.

This time, she waited a good seven minutes before asking in a totally clueless tone, "Are we there yet?"

"Will you PLEASE just let me drive? I will TELL YOU when we have officially arrived in Memphis!" He practically shouted.

"As SOON as we cross the borders into it?"

"YES, miss, as soon as we cross into it."

Audrey shrugged. "Sounds good. Be sure to remember to tell me," she said cheerfully. She then held out her palm to Grover, who groaned and handed her twenty bucks.

"Fine, you earned it."

"Thank you, Grover!" She said innocently, tucking the money into her pocket with satisfaction.

* * *

A while later, the cabbie finally said, "We're in Memphis now, miss."

She waited until he pulled up next to the Peabody, and leaned forward after getting out to peer down at him.

"By the way, mister? We arrived in Memphis a good five minutes before you told me," she informed him before shutting the door.

He gaped at her before laughing and pulling off.

Grover just grinned. "I need to travel with you more often. You make for good entertainment."

She shrugged and shifted the weight from her bag. "It's a gift."

Percy made a weird face. "What the hell are you two talking about?"

Annabeth sighed and shook her head. "You _don't _wanna know."


	9. Chocolate, Pills, and Poseidon

**I...am so, so, SO sorry for taking so long to update! I feel like it's been years!**

**Though I hate to admit it...to be honest...I had writer's block. THERE, I SAID IT, I HAD WRITER'S BLOCK! It was making me feel hella guilty, too. I kept reading, and re-reading, and re-re-reading, and re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-reading the stories and chapps I had up for this so far, but I just couldn't think of how to put what was in my head into words.**

**Finally, I had a stroke of genius, and I typed this up in 3 hours total. Sorry it's not very long, not as long as you deserve for waiting for my sorry ass to write a new chapp for this long (sorry ass to write? that's gotta be politically incorrect), but at least it's longer than that LAST one I left you hanging with! **

**Right? **

**RIGHT? **

**So, yeah. I'm not dead, and I haven't given up on this fic. I'M DETERMINED TO COMPLETE IT OVER THE COURSE OF TIME, I SWEAR! **

**Again, I'm so very sorry for making you wait this long. I can't even BEGIN to tell ya how sorry I am! **

**Not that I'm in any position to ask, but PLEASE read and review so I know I didn't abandon this for so long that I completely lost all the readers. Not that that would make me quit writing this fic, but getting some reviews for this chapp would make writing a lot easier. **

**Weird as it sounds, reviews sometimes give me ideas. Even if they don't mention any ideas in there. Weird how my brain works, huh?**

**Well, anyway. Read, Review, and ENJOY!**

**Oh, ALSO: My birthday was this past December. December 9th. Any other Decembers around here? 8D**

* * *

"So, what now?" Annabeth asked as she continued to unpack. Audrey was currently sitting on top of her bags, not bothering to unpack.

She was plenty happy with just digging through them later for whatever she might need instead of having to unfold and fold and all that crap.

Partly because she was so damn lazy, and also because she was _still_ a little sore and all from that wreck.

Stupid wreck. She wished she could remember who the driver was, odds were that was who tampered with her IV.

_It couldn't have been Roger, he's in solitary...that's impossible...right?_

"Audrey?"

She glanced up from the floor, having zoned out. "Hmm?"

"You alright?"

"What? Oh, yeah. Just tired," she assured her with a smile. Annabeth smiled back and shrugged. "Alright, if you say so. Anyway, what do we do now?"

"Well first, Audrey calls dibs on the bathroom, 'cause she's been holdin' it for FOREVER!" Audrey suddenly exclaimed, spastically shooting up off her bed and running for the aforementioned bathroom.

Annabeth quirked an eyebrow at her back. "...That was...sudden."

"I forgot I had to pee!" Audrey replied, shutting the door and practically diving for the toilet. Annabeth shook her head as she heard a rather distinct "Ahhhh", chuckling despite herself.

"Something else. She sure is something else," she muttered to herself as she changed clothes. It was burning up in Memphis; having been in the North for so long, she wasn't used to it.

At least when they'd been in Memphis and New Orleans all those months ago, it'd been close to fall, so the weather hadn't been so bad.

But now the air itself felt wet with humidity, making the heat even worse. _How the hell did Audrey SURVIVE when she lived here?_

Audrey had just opened the bathroom door when Allie entered through the hotel room door, causing her to be whacked in the face by Audrey.

The latter winced and made a weird slightly-apologetic-but-mostly-amused face as her half-sister made a weird noise and keeled over.

"...Sorry!"

"Unnnh...Is this how you felt when you first met Percy?"

Audrey tilted her head to the side to look at her as she helped her up. "Well, according to Percy, _I_ had a bruise by now, so...I think you lucked out, sis."

Annabeth was too busy laughing her ass off to do anything helpful. Allie brushed herself off and rubbed her nose mournfully. "Oww..."

"Anyway, what's up?"

"Oh, right. Did you bring your straightener? I forgot mine."

"Yeah, just a sec," Audrey replied as she went to dig in her bag. After a few moments of rifling through it (in which clothes flew everywhere), she finally found it and tossed it to Allie. She sighed gratefully. "Thanks! I forgot how much the damn humidity screws with my hair," she muttered darkly as she plugged it into the outlet in their bathroom.

Annabeth fingered her hair, which was getting a little frizzy towards the ends. "Tell me about it."

Audrey glanced at her own hair, which was starting to wave in odd places. "Damn." Then she shrugged and got one of the hair elastics off her wrists, pulling it up.

"Problem solved! C'mon, Allie, hurry uuuup!" Audrey whined, pounding on the door.

"What for?" Allie snapped.

"I gotta pee!"

"Again?" Annabeth wondered. Audrey sighed and pointed to a bottle of pills she had already put on the little table-slash-nightstand thingie situated between their beds. "I think it's 'cause of the pills they're making me take. Some kind of painkillers or something. They make me nauseous if I don't eat anything or drink milk before taking 'em, too," she explained absently, slipping her shoes back on before heading toward the door."Not to mention I'm practically _drunk_ after I take 'em."

"Where're you going?"

"I dunno," Audrey replied cheerfully before opening the door and heading for the elevator. As she had expecred, Allie and Annabel bolted out of the room and ran to catch it.

Audrey laughed and hit the button to make the doors close, just to make them run even faster. Allie barely made it as the doors closed, and Annabeth was glaring at Audrey as they both panted.

"That was just plain rude," Allie whined, making them all laugh.

_**

* * *

**_

_**SEVEN ****HOURS LATER...**_

So far, Audrey and Allie had dragged the other three in about eight different tents. They'd eaten in all of them, too, having not been able to resist that wonderful aroma of barbeque and ribs on the grill.

They'd met up with Uncle Shawn in one of them, and he gave his nieces passes to all the tents to roam late that night when the minors had to leave.

Now they were just roaming, with occasional stops when people asked if they were the kids they'd seen on the news about the stolen pearls.

Which had happened a lot more than Audrey had expected. "My feet...are bleeding...I'm sure of it," Allie muttered to herself.

Audrey rolled her eyes. "Hey, it's NOTHING compared to those two weeks we spent in Disney World. Remember that? Miles and miles of walking, and only five hours of sleep."

Allie stopped abruptly, making the others stop to look at her. She glanced at her feet, then at Audrey. "...Huh. Aud, my feet feel better now. Thanks!"

"Any time."

"Hey, look over there," Grover said suddenly, pointing straight ahead and to the left. They all looked and saw girls on a stage dressed as Miss Piggy. "Oh, that," Audrey said with a laugh. "It's a contest they have every year. Some kind of singing contest. NO," she said immediately as they all opened their mouths to suggest she do it.

Annabeth grinned. "Aw, c'mon. I think you'd look GREAT with a pig nose and blonde wig!"

Audrey stuck her tongue out at her, and Allie grabbed Grover and Annabeth by their shirts. "C'mon, you guys, I think I _know_ that pig on the far right!"

Audrey and Percy exchanged a look as they ran off. "...Does she realize she left us?"

"Maybe she did it on purpose."

She let one of her hands slide off her hip to grab the hand he held out to her. "Well hey, I'm not complaining."

* * *

"So. How's it feel to be back home again?" Percy asked a little while later. Audrey shrugged. "Just like it usually does; great. Even better with the heat."

"How can you _stand_ it?" he wondered.

She smirked. "I grew _up _with it. I guess us Southerners are just tougher than you Northerners."

He swung her hand a little higher. "Oh yeah? We can outlast snow longer than you Southerners can."

"Yeah, well, if we were stranded in the desert, I'd be the last to go crazy and die of thirst."

"What about Allie?"

"She'd probably be the first, to be honest. She'll agree with me on that one." Percy chuckled at that before resuming the hand-swinging. "Okay, well, how about we just call it a draw?"

"A _draw_, you say?" she asked in her British accent.

"Indeed, a _draw_, madam," he replied.

"My British accent's better, though. I think it's 'cause I'm from the South."

"But that wouldn't make sense, British people lived mostly in the North before the Revolutionary War."

"You really wanna argue history with _me_, Percy? The history geek?"

"Yeah, 'cause I'm right for once."

"...Okay, maybe you're right on _that_ one," she admitted with a huff of defeat. He grinned triumphantly, which made it all the more important that she added, "Let's see, that's...Percy one and Audrey...what, thirty-four?"

"Thirty-three."

"Oh, excuse me. I stand corrected."

"So now it's Percy TWO, Audrey thirty-three."

"Yeah, well...your mom."

"Oh, so now you wanna bring my mom's score into this? 'Cause she's right a lot."

"Okay, yeah, bad decision on my part. She'd beat us both."

"Exactly. Man, Audrey, you gotta think these things through."

"Yeah, yeah, you know how bad I am about thinking things through!"

"Chyeah, no kidding."

She made a face at him in response, and he stuck his tongue out at her. That just made her giggle despite herself, something she usually didn't do since it would jeapordize her chance of winning an argument.

Even though it wasn't really an argument to begin with. Either way, it made him grin all smug-like. Which made it clear that whatever it was they were doing, she'd just lost.

So of course she hip-checked him into the nearest tree. Which, in hindsight, was a stupid idea since he was still holding her hand.

"...Didn't think that one through at all, did you, Audrey?" he asked in that smug and triumphant tone of his.

"...No," she huffed, rubbing her poor face where it had hit the tree. Her tone and expression made him laugh, and she tried to last as long as possible, but she was laughing too within a minute.

Her laughter trailed off as the top of her head suddenly tingled, her whole body being hit with a single wave of prickly heat. Audrey stopped abruptly, looking around.

"...What?" Percy asked carefully as she looked more and more uneasy with every person she looked at.

Memphis was still busy down here by the river, and it seemed like everyone was looking at her. That was probably just because she was paranoid, but still. _I haven't felt that in a long time..._

"Felt what?"

"Hm?"

"You said you hadn't felt 'that' in a long time. Felt what?"

Audrey made her gaze swiftly fall away from the other people so she could smile at him. "Oh, nothing really. Just...the pain meds wore off quicker than usual. Yeah."

Percy rolled his eyes. "Audrey, that's the worse lie you've ever told me. Even _you _could do better than that."

"Alright, I was checking out those guys over there!"

"That's even worse. Honestly, I'm offended you'd even attempt to make me believe that one."

When she didn't reply (due to a new wave of that prickly stuff hitting her), he let go of her hand to put both hands on her shoulders, turning her towards him. "Hey. What's wrong?"

A pained expression crossed her face. She didn't want to ruin the fun everyone was having over something as simple as a feeling, but she also knew Percy wouldn't leave it alone until she told him the truth. So she basically had no choice in the matter.

"It's nothing major, I just...got a bad feeling suddenly. That's all." He looked like he didn't believe that one either, but Audrey made a thinking face. "You know...I think this happens to some people when they go without those meds for too long. They get paranoid or something like that. ...That's probably all it is...right?"

She looked up at him with innocent brown eyes, knowing he'd drop it once she did that little trick. Sure enough, Percy smiled reassuringly and nodded. "Yeah. ...Yeah, that's probably it."

Audrey grinned and pulled him down onto the ground with her. "Then stop looking so worried. Jeez, Percy Jackson, haven't I told you before? Worrying's for grown-ups."

_Although the last time I said that, I was hit by a car...But things like that don't happen twice! Chyeah! Hahaha...ha...ha..._

But then she was mentally laughing nervously for a whole other reason once, while they talked about random stuff, he started tracing random patterns on the back of her hand. Amazing how after all that had happened between them, Percy doing something that simple and minor made her nervous.

Just like that time in the back room of Club 152. Oh MAN, she'd been nervous in those mere thirty seconds. And then later, when he touched her hand at the River, in a spot much like the one they were in now?

Audrey felt like laughing at herself, but decided she'd freaked Percy out enough for one night, and instead decided to break him off mid-sentence by kissing him on the cheek.

"...What was that for?"

She grinned and shrugged. "It's funny to see you all flustered like that."

"I'm not flustered, the hell're you talking about?"

"Oh, my mistake. You see, I usually categorize red ears and quick blinking as flustered-ness."

"Yeah, your mistake. I'll let it slide this time, Audrey, just 'cause I like you."

"Good. 'Bout time I get some benefits," she replied with a smirk. He wiped that smirk right off her face when he randomly kissed her, and then SHE was the flustered one.

"...Of couse, that's a good benefit too," she muttered, pulling him towards her by his shirt and kissing him. He laughed at that one, his hand going to her waist as she nearly fell over from moving towards him so fast.

Audrey didn't remember much about what happened after that, but she knew at one point her foot slid down the hill a little for some reason, and she felt water against her toes since she was wearing flip-flops.

That made her pull away abruptly, looking around. Percy moped momentarily at that, but then he noticed it, too. "Um...Audrey?"

"Yeah?"

"...Is the water supposed to be this high?"

"...No," she said weakly. The river's waves had ebbed right up the rocks that had been placed to cover the hill in case of future flooding. The body of water itself was drawing nearer, too, driftwood and God-only-knows-what-else floating higher and higher towards them.

They were on their feet in mere moments, and they looked to their right up the hill where the BBQ Fest was taking place after hearing screaming up there.

Apparently the water was rising there, too. Not as much as it was here, obviously, since the heights were different. But enough to freak people out.

Percy wasted no time, raising his hands as if telling the water to stop. "Percy-"

"Kinda busy, Audrey," he said distractedly, starting to sweat just a little. She didn't blame him; the Mississippi River was a HUGE body of water, and she had no idea what he was trying to do, but she knew it wouldn't be easy.

She wished she could help after just standing there watching helplessly for a few minutes, his arms starting to quiver just a little.

He made some more movements with his hands that Audrey didn't quite get, but after a few moments, he had managed to make the water start ebbing away.

The screams died into drunken laughter and shouting, making Audrey sigh in relief. She looked around to make sure no one was seeing Percy, and sighed in relief _again _after seeing no one.

No one but the hobo that stayed by the river in his car year-round, and he was fast asleep, anyways. Once the water had gone more-or-less back to its average height, Percy let his hands drop heavily to his sides.

They sighed with relief in _unison _that time, and Audrey made a face. "This is probably because I told you that worrying was for grown-ups again. I should probably just stop saying that altogether."

"Has that...EVER happened around here?" Percy asked, panting a little. Audrey shook her head. "No, not like that. Ever."

"Crap. Wrong answer. That only leaves for an _unnatural _explanation."

She furrowed her brows at him. "...You mean, like...your dad, maybe?"

"Maybe."

She crossed her arms moodily. "Well...This wouldn't be the _first _time one or both of a boyfriend's parents didn't like me before they even met me."

Percy couldn't help but laugh at that one, and Audrey tilted her head to the side as she studied the water, almost as if it held the answer. "...Are you...Are you sure that was your dad? Could it have been anyone or anything else?"

"I honestly have no idea," he replied in a thoughtful tone. Audrey eventually sighed again, digging in her pocket. "Well, in that case...It's _definitely _time for my pill," she muttered, pulling a thing of pills out.

"Birth control?" Percy wondered, still absentminded and not thinking about what he was saying. She turned bright red. "N-No! ...The pain meds, idiot."

"Oh. Right. I knew that."

"Uh-huh."

He watched as she took the pills dry, not even bothering with water. "I thought it was practically _impossible _for you to take a pill without something to drink, Audrey."

"It usually is. Except for when I desperately need one. ...Seriously, I'm starting to hurt, I promise," she added quickly at the look that momentarily crossed her face.

Even she had to admit, she looked like a crazed addict, downing those two pills like that. Percy looked at the River one more time before smirking at her and putting an arm around her shoulders. "Well, I guess we should head back to the hotel. What with how those pills make you-"

"Pee like Seabiscuit?" she offered, already feeling the drugs start to make her loopy.

"...Yeah, that."

Poor Percy had never seen the LOOPY side of the drugs. He had no idea what was in store for him, she knew already.

_I feel kinda sorry for the guy. Poor, poor, Percy._

_**

* * *

**_

_**TWENTY ****MINUTES LATER...**_

"...And why do they call it a BELGIAN waffle? I mean, what makes it any different from a REGULAR waffle, huh? Seriously!" she exclaimed.

Percy sighed, still supporting most of her weight as she swayed and wobbled her way towards the hotel. He'd suggested a cab or something, but she'd burst into tears, saying she wanted to walk and not waste money and asking if he was suggesting she was too weak to even walk a few blocks.

"...Percy?" she asked, her voice suddenly sober.

"What?"

"Are you mad at me?"

"What the – no, of course not, why?"

"Because...Well, for one thing, it's really hot out here. And another thing? I think that might've been my fault. The whole River-Rising-Thingie."

"And how do you figure that?"

"Weeeeeyyyyeeelll, either it's 'cause your dad doesn't like me, OR it was somehow another stunt Roger managed to pull off. That Roger, he's such a big bully." And then the serious tone of her voice was gone as she suddenly swatted the air in front of her face, opening and closing her mouth weirdly.

"Audrey, the hell're you doing now?"

"THE HAIR'S ATTACKING ME! HOLY CRAP! PERCY, HELP!" she exclaimed.

"AUDREY, HAIR CAN'T HURT YOU!"

She slowly stopped attacking her hair, looking at him funny. "...That's the weirdest thing I've ever heard! Hair not attacking peop – oh, wait...I think...I think my HAND was the one attacking my face...! Hahahahahahaha, I'm so stupid!" she said, laughing until she hiccuped. She clutched her chest dramatically, staggering a little.

"COLONEL, I'VE BEEN HIT! GAH! ...Hahahaha, hiccups are terrible!" she said, laughing and crying at the same time.

Percy shook his head and ran to catch up with her as she attempted to convince a hobo he was her colonel. "C'moooon, Audrey, leave the guy alone. Sorry about that."

"HEY! I WON'T ALLOW TO BE DRAGGED AWAY FROM MY COMMANDING OFFICER!"

"C'mon, you're gonna pass out any minute now."

"Are you threatening me? POLICE BRUTALITY, POLICE BRUTALITY!"

"I'm not even the police, idiot!"

"You're not? Oh. ...Well, in that case, I'll scream rape instead!" she threatened. Percy rolled his eyes and slung her over his shoulder, waiting to be able to cross the street. "Go right ahead, make my day."

"...But...But...Percy, I was just bluffing! You can't do that!"

"What, call your bluff?"

"Ye-e-e-esssss!" she whined, starting to cry again. Percy groaned and ran across the street. "Please don't cry any more!"

"_MAKE ME_, YOU BIG BULLY!"

"Audrey, this is just plain –"

"I bet you're gonna say it's just plain ridiculous. _AREN'T _YOU? SEE WHAT I MEAN?" she asked a random couple passing by. They gawked at them, and for a split second Percy considered "accidentally" letting her head hit a pole.

Just to knock her out for a little while, of course.

"...It's 'cause I'm from the South, isn't it? IT'S 'CAUSE I HAVE AN ACCENT, _ISN'T _IT, PERCY? OR ARE YOU JEALOUS OF MY EXTREME TOLERANCE FOR HEAT? HUUUUUH?"

"Yes. That's it. I'm extremely jealous of your heat tolerance," he replied.

"Good. Maybe I'll share it with you. You want heat tolerance?"

"Sure, Audrey, why not."

"Okay!" she said excitedly before wriggling around in his grip. After a few more moments of wriggling, she managed to twist herself enough so she kissed his cheek, then let them trail down his neck. "...Feeling the heat yet?" she asked against his skin, making him shiver.

"Most definitely."

"And you're tolerating it! SEEE?" she said in her drunken, giggly tone as she started to – yep, you guessed it – hiccup and giggle.

Percy sighed heavily. That just wasn't fair. If he weren't so nice, he would've hidden her pills or dumped them in the trash somewhere by now.

But every time he thought about it, he remembered how awful it had been while she was hospitalized. How bruised and cut-up she looked, and how scared she was after someone messed with her IV. At least now she smiled sometimes. For a week or so after the wreck, though, it was nothing but fake smiles and worry lines on her forehead when she thought he wasn't paying attention.

...Even though he was almost _always _paying attention.

It was then he noticed he'd turned on the wrong street, and he whirled around quickly to change directions. Which, in turn, made Audrey giggle and start singing, "You spin me right round, baby, right round, like a record, baby, right round round rouuuuuunnnnd!"

Percy sighed and shook his head. "This is gonna be a loooong night."

* * *

A few minutes later, the hotel finally came in sight. Audrey opened the door, somehow bending backwards enough.

Which made Percy wonder quite a few things about her flexibility.

"HIYA, STEVE! REMEMBER ME?" she demanded to know from the doorman. He smiled and tilted his cap to her. "Of course I do, little miss. Audrey, right?"

She gasped excitedly, starting to kick her legs. "YESSSS!"

Percy groaned and grabbed his nose after her shoe flew off and hit him smack in the face. "Oh crap, Percy, I'm _so _sorry! Are you okay?" she asked, laughing despite herself.

As he grabbed an elevator, he noticed in the reflection of the doors that he was already developing a flip-flop-shaped red mark around and over his nose and mouth. "...Fine, Audrey. Just great."

To his horror, there were other people in said elevator, and they all gawked at Audrey as she started bawling. "PERCY, I'VE _WOUNDED _YOU! JUST LIKE THAT LAST TIME, WHEN WE WERE LOOKING FOR THOSE PEARLS! REMEMBER? WE WERE IN HOLLYWOOD, ABOUT TO STAY THE NIGHT BEFORE HEADING FOR HELL, WHEN I ACCIDENTALLY PUNCHED YOU WHILE I WAS STRETCHING! I'M _SO _SORRRRYYYY!" she sobbed, soaking the back of his shirt as she cried a fricking river.

"...Audrey, it's alright, I forgive you!"

"...That's good. But, um...I really have to pee," she said suddenly, crossing her legs against his stomach.

Percy then started pressing their floor's glowing button repeatedly, not caring what the other elevator-riders were whispering.

_**

* * *

**_

_**FIVE****MINUTES LATER...**_

Percy rolled his eyes and shook his head as he heard the distinct sound of Audrey going "Ahhhh" for what had to be the eighth time. She had dived out of his grip and ran for her hotel room, nearly slamming the door in his face as she slid into the bathroom.

She'd been in there ever since.

"...Audrey, how much pee could you _possibly have _stored in your bladder?" he wondered.

"Well, more than usual, thanks to the pills AND you bouncing me around all through Downtown. Such a weirdo, carrying me around like that."

Which he knew was Audrey Code for "stop questioning my bladder and thanks for the ride".

Finally, seven more minutes later, he heard her flush the toilet and wash her hands. He sprung into action, diving onto the first bed he saw and turning on the television, stretching out like he'd been like that for forever.

Audrey trudged out, looking really tired, and rolled her eyes at him. "The Office is on right after South Park," he said innocently.

"...Percy, I saw your feet under the bathroom door. I may be all drugged up, but I'm not an idiot," she stated dully, her words starting to slur.

She collapsed dramatically into the bed closest to the window, which he assumed was hers. So of course he got up and collapsed dramatically beside her just like she had, making her giggle.

"...Hey. Percy?"

"Huh?"

"What happened to your mustache?" she wondered.

"What mustache?"

"Didn't you have a Frenchman mustache?"

"...No," he said slowly.

Audrey bit her lip in thought, then started laughing uncontrollably. "Hahahahaha! That's so funny! I could've SWORN you had one! And I thought I remembered you twirling the ends of it and everything, too! Ahhh, good times."

"Audrey?"

"Yeeee-esss, Non-French-Mustache-Bearer?" she replied, turning her head at a weird angle and blinking up at him innocently.

"You need sleep. Badly. I can tell. You should get right on that."

She pouted up at him. "No fair! _You _don't have a bedtime, why should _I _have one?"

"Because you're hallucinating and stuff!"

"...And? Maybe I _like _hallucinating and stuff! It's better than seeing normal, or dull, or terrible things for what they really are! ...Donchya think?"

"Maybe. But either way, you need to get yourself some rest."

"You can't make me!" she declared, pouting up at the ceiling with her arms crossed defiantly.

"...I'll buy you some chocolate."

"..._Good _chocolate?"

"Is there any other kind?"

"Yeah, dark chocolate. It sucks."

"Okay, no dark chocolate. You got it. IF you go to sleep."

Audrey huffed in defeat, then giggled. "You're bribing me with chocolate to get me to go to sleep? How weird is _that_!"

"_You're _weird, so that works just fine."

"That's true..." she said with a yawn, rolling onto her side so that she could lay against him while watching the tv.

So he let her, putting an arm around her and using that hand to play with her hair. Whenever he glanced down at her, her eyelids would be drooping further and further.

They were almost closed completely when she hiccuped rather loudly, her whole body jolting from it. Percy shook his head with a smile as that sent her into hysterics, and she laughed even harder when she noticed she was missing a shoe.

"Oh, wait, I found it!" Audrey exclaimed suddenly, looking up at him. She traced the outline of her shoe on his face with a huge grin. "There it is."

She then started laughing uncontrollably all over again at Percy's expression. "P-Percy?" she said after a few minutes of laughing, hiccuping some more.

"YES, Audrey?" he replied, yawning himself.

"I...Um...Wait, I forgot...Hold on..." she said drowsily, her words slurred as if she were totally wasted.

Which she might as well have been.

"Oh! Right! Now I remember! There...There's only ONE thang...One...? Yeah, oneee – no, two – wait, no, ONE THANG I love more than junk food and British accents...and your Frenchman mustache..." she said thoughtfully, her accent thicker than he'd ever heard it due to her "intoxication".

"And what would that be?" he asked, eyes on the tv.

"Weeeellll, THAT would be chocolate!"

"But chocolate's a junk food, too."

"...Oh. Oh, you're right. Theeeennn...I guess the ONE THAAAANG is you," she declared, nodding to herself. "Yeaaahh...I think that's what it was...I love junk food, I love British accents, I love your Frenchman mustache, I love chocolate, which youuuu say is junk food...and then I love you. And that's it!" she added, hiccuping again.

Percy felt his pulse speed up, not knowing whether to take that seriously or not. Was he supposed to say he loved her too?

An even better question, did she even _realize _what she'd just said?

Probably not. He figured Audrey wasn't one to randomly throw "I love you" out there, if she even said it at all.

So he just settled with, "I love cake."

Audrey paused. "...You love...cake?"

_Oh crap. Wrong answer! Dammit, I **knew **that was gonna happen!_

She suddenly gasped excitedly. "I FORGOT ABOUT CAKE! I LOVE CAKE TOO! ...But I still love you a _liiiittle _more. You're right up there with chocolate. ...Actually, no. I think I love you MORE than chocolate, just a little," she informed him.

There it was again. She'd said it twice. Could that really have been an effect from the pills? _Maybe it's just making her say things she normally keeps to herself...Now **there's **a scary thought..._

Either way, he decided the best course of action would be to kiss her. ...It didn't hurt that he was fine with doing that as ANY course of action, best or worst.

She seemed to like that course of action, kissing him back before smiling at him. Then she laid her head back where it had been, and she was out cold in under fifty seconds.

Percy chuckled to himself and shook his head, resuming the hair-playing and closing his own eyes.

...So of course, right as he was about to fall asleep, the door slammed open. "THANK GOD YOU'RE ALRIGHT!" Allie exclaimed, tears streaked down her face.

* * *

Percy jumped about a foot, and Audrey somehow stayed asleep. All she did was swat at the air and roll over onto her other side with a groan.

"Are YOU alright?" Percy wondered, eyeing her carefully. She shook her head as Annabeth and Grover ran in. "No. No, I'm not."

"The hell happened?"

"It was really weird, the Mississippi River started flooding, but then it went back. And then, not long after, it flooded again. Everyone was running around, panicking, that area where the cars park and people look at the river's completely underwater. A lot of the BBQ Fest's lower areas are under, too," Annabeth explained, her tone laced with confusion.

Grover nodded. "...Your dad must be _really _pissed."

Allie shook her head, tearing up again. "What if people were hurt? What if people _died_? What about Uncle Shawn, or that hobo guy that stays in his car year-round by the river? Why's this happening?" she wondered, her voice shaking all over the place.

Grover uncrossed his arms just in time for her to let her face fall against his shoulder, and he put his arms around her as she started bawling.

Annabeth, Percy, and Grover exchanged a look. "...This IS Poseidon's doing...Isn't it?" Annabeth asked.

Percy's brows furrowed with worry. "Well...Who else could be doing it?"

They looked at him as if it were obvious. "...Oh, no. No way. Roger couldn't have POSSIBLY-"

"Well, so far, a _lot _of things have happened that he seems to know about!" Annabeth interrupted. "Maybe you should talk to him again. See if he was behind this, too. Because right now...Memphis has a flood on its hands, the likes of which it hasn't seen in a long time, according to Allie."

"Audrey's gonna flip out when she wakes up," Allie said with a sniffle, her voice muffled by Grover's jacket.

They all winced at that one. Percy had a feeling he'd be the one they made tell her, too.

Great. She wouldn't be allegedly loving him more than chocolate for long.


End file.
